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Monthly Archives: December 2008

The Lambeau Leap turned 15 years old on December 26. This recent tradition has become a legendary expectation of all Packers that score a touchdown at Lambeau Field. Even former Packers Quarterback Brett Favre (in his last season with Green Bay) and current Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (in his first regular season start) have leaped into the arms of excited fans.

Thanks to defensive Safety Leroy Butler, the first Lambeau Leap is now the stuff of legend. I think the Lambeau Leap is one of the coolest end zone celebrations in history. When a player jumps into the stands, it brings the fans and players together in a celebration of a great feat. It’s a celebration of the sport with those that love it. Many fans have commented on how much fun it is. So thank you Leroy Butler for inventing one of the greatest moves in football.

Who says police officers don’t have a heart? The two Milwaukee Police officers mentioned in this article demonstrate that even the police care. While responding to a call regarding a woman with a drug overdose, the officers found her daughter as well, but noticed no gifts under the plastic tree and no food in the house. So they collected funds from their coworkers and did some quick shopping so the girl had presents and food.

This demonstrates that there are still many good people out there in many different professions, even those that have some of the most demanding, difficult jobs. I understand the stress that police officers encounter every day and the challenges that they are forced to face. But even in such a sad situation, it is refreshing to see the good come out. The holiday season seems to do that to people.

It’s December in Wisconsin again. We’re on pace to receive more snow than last year. That means that the roads are in terrible condition. It’s not exactly my idea of safe riding weather, at least for anyone that isn’t comfortable riding.

So it surprised me to find a woman riding on the street one day. I had just turned onto a main road from my workplace when I encountered the rider pedaling along the right side of the road. A couple of cars had passed her as she made her way to the intersection with a four-way stop. So I slowed down behind her and let her proceed to the intersection. But she was not a skilled rider: she didn’t have a helmet, she rode what looked like either a cruiser or a hybrid (she sat upright), and she was hugging the side of the road, which meant trying to cut through snow and slush. She even nearly fell off her bike before the intersection, but she managed to make it there before dismounting.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that back on November 26, one cyclist was followed and attacked by another when the first one told the other and his girlfriend to “get a light.” The incident occurred in the evening, so the first cyclist could barely see the others coming, and thus made the suggestion. The other cyclist followed the first one home and attacked him. The second cyclist was eventually arrested, thanks to the cycling community.

It’s bad enough that cars already have a difficult time seeing bicyclists on the road without lights. But what really bothers me is when a bicyclist doesn’t take any responsibility for the safety equipment on their own bicycles. I typically ride my road bike during the day, so it’s often unnecessary to put lights on it. But I have the mounts, and when I plan on riding when it starts to get dark, the lights go on. It’s just one more way for motorists to see me and know that there’s another vehicle sharing the roads with them.

So to all of those bicyclists that are completely in the dark: get a light.

What happened in Mumbai, India last week is truly a tragedy. As we learn more about the incident, I want to clearly condemn the terror that happened at the Taj Mahal Hotel. It’s amazing, because I stood not far from there only a few years ago. But I also think that India is taking the appropriate steps in trying to handle the crisis. Today’s post is dedicated to those lost in the Mumbai tragedy.